On March 30, 2017, the American Gaming Association (“AGA”) released an estimate forecasting that American sports fan would wager $36.5 billion on Major League Baseball (“MLB”) games this season and, according to the AGA, $35.4 billion, or 97 percent, of those wagers will be placed illegally through illicit offshore websites and sports bookies.

“The amount wagered illegally on professional baseball is another sign the federal ban on sports betting has become an utter failure,” said Geoff Freeman, AGA President and CEO. “It’s time for Washington to stop depriving states of critical tax revenue and allow them to reap the rewards of a regulated market.”

During the 2016 MLB season, the AGA estimated that fans would illegally wager roughly $2.4 billion on MLB post-season games. The Nevada Gaming Control Board estimated only $85 million was wagered legally on MLB playoff games in 2016. According to the AGA, Americans wager an estimated $154 billion on all sports every year.